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Vol. 29, No. 12 | Richmond Suburban Newspapers | July 25, 2012
Governor signs drug bills at Sheriff ’s Office By Melody Kinser mkinser@mechlocal.com Gov. Bob McDonnell took care of some official business on Monday during a visit to the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. With Col. David R. Hines, sheriff, on hand, the governor signed nine pieces of legislation related to crimes involving drugs in Virginia. The Virginia General Assembly bills include:
❍ HB968/SB159 — Significantly increases penalties for repeat drug dealers. ❍ HB718 — Allows juveniles to be charged as adults for repeat drug dealing. ❍ HB508/SB273 — Criminalize possession and distribution of synthetic cannabinoids. ❍ HB1161/SB294 — Strengthen law enforcement procedures to track sale of
HYSC learns about Army life, how to support troops Sgt. Maj. Michael Stockhausen and Sgt. Johnathan Hoggatt of the U.S. Army recently met with the Hanover Youth Service Council (HYSC) as part of an ongoing effort to learn more about veterans and explore ways the Council can support our troops. Stockhausen is from Mechanicsville and Hoggatt is from Ashland. On Wednesday, July 11, the men shared their reasons for joining the military, discussed the special training they received as Army Rangers, and described their living conditions while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. When asked what event
impacted him the most while in the service, Stockhausen said Army Ranger School as the defining point. He said students endure food restriction, sleep deprivation and additional psychological stresses while learning combat leadership skills. Just over 40 percent of the students who begin the elite program graduate. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It was worse than getting shot at. After Ranger School, everything else seemed easy,” Stockhausen said. Hoggatt, also an Army Ranger, described the varying living situations in Afghanistan and Iraq that ranged from comsee HYSC, pg. 22
methamphetamine. ❍ HB1037 — Requires defendant to pay reasonable costs associated with methamphetamine site cleanup. ❍ HB271 — Establishes the Substance Abuse Recovery Support Services Grant Program. (Editor’s note: More on the governor’s visit is available on our website, www.mechlocal.com, and will be in next week’s edition.)
Melody Kinser/The Local
Sean Davis, left, Henry District representative on the Hanover County Board of Supervisors, talks to Gov. Bob McDonnell before a bill signing ceremony on Monday at the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. Supervisor Canova Peterson, Mechanicsville District, and Ed Via, chairman and Ashland District representative, are shown on the right.
Second time as champs!
David Halstead for The Local
The Mechanicsville 11- and 12-year-old All-Stars defeated Bridgewater on Thursday, July 19, in Northumberland County to advance to the Little League Southeastern Regionals in Warner Robins, Ga. Mechanicsville’s first game in the Southeastern Regionals will be on Thursday, July 26, against a team from Tennessee. In this photo, the team celebrates by holding up two fingers to designate a second championship as members pose with the championship banner. For more on last week’s victory, see page 38 in Sports.